Green – the colour and the mindset – is going to define 2020.

But it is something that has been at the heart of our business since we launched our first design back in 2016.

The Lancashire Moors and their ever-changing shades of green long served as the inspiration for many of my designs. 

Which is why, when I launched Woodchip & Magnolia back in 2016, I made a commitment to protect the hills, moors and dark aromatic dense forests of my childhood, as well as reconnect with nature and the lushness of the great outdoors after a stressful period of my life. 

Slow down – go back to nature

From choosing FSC-sourced paper to car-sharing with my co-workers and even getting our milk delivered in glass bottles, creating a business with sustainability at its heart has been my dream.

And for many interiors’ aficionados, 2020 is going to be the year they realise their dream of creating a home with sustainability at its heart. 

This year, interior design will follow the eco-friendly ethos of ‘buy less, choose well and make it last.’ 

Antique art, family heirlooms and memories of precious summer holidays combined with botanical and tropical wallpapers will be the look which defines the shift away from flatpack, magnolia living towards a more environmentally friendly home. Durable, natural, and woven materials will be championed.

An increased awareness of the finitude of our natural resources has led to a desire to repair and repurpose. This creative reuse is a way of making truly personal spaces around your home. I expect to see more up-cycling and second-hand treasures dominating the home.

And did you know, our wallpapers can be removed and re-used in a different room, or even a different house? If you want to stamp your own personality into a rental property – without upsetting the landlord – our wallpapers will do just that. Our paste-the-wall paper means it can be removed in one clean strip, leaving no mess and your wallpaper perfectly in tact for your new home. 

Revive, restore and renew

Greens, from classic pale tones and the on-trend neo-mint, through to dark, embracing and uplifting lichens and the dense aromatic depths of forest are going to be hot news in 2020. A fresh start to the decade, this is echoed in the growing biophilic trend, which drives wellness through plants and foliage.

Colour-wise, green will begin to replace grey – classic greens work beautifully with dark blues and with warmer shades such as dusky pinks and peach. 

House plants are going to be everywhere. From bathrooms and kitchens to living spaces and bedrooms as homeowners dive into biophilia. 

We’ll be seeing the love for foliage continue to grow as wallcoverings and fabrics bring this most ever-green of interior inspirations to life. 

From abstract interpretations to vintage illustrations, botanicals will be big news across walls and fabrics in 2020.  

Four years after launching my very first W&M wallpaper design which was taken directly from handpicked Queen Anne’s lace from the surrounding hedgerows I grew up surrounded by, watching sustainability grow into a design trend is a dream realised and one we are committed to – whether it’s in fashion or not. 

That’s why we are proud to launch our very own Eco Manifesto – rules we live by, every day, so you can be reassured that beautiful design can also be beautiful to the planet.